Vacuum Trucks & Trailers: The Backbone of Industry

Vacuum trucks and trailers run the gamut when it comes to the industries they are used in. With more septic professionals crossing into other industries, the vacuum truck or trailer that works for you may not work for your colleagues. Presvac’s Bill Seigle and Keith Huber’s General Manager Charles Felsher answer some basic questions to update us on the market.

What has changed at your company within the last year?

Siegle:
More people are asking for carbon filtration. California and Texas have mandated them and New Jersey is about to. I think it will probably be mandatory for all states within the next five years. But, right now, it’s a $30,000 option.

Felsher:
We’ve had a lot of changes at Keith Huber. The biggest change is that we are now owned by Hol-Mac, a family-owned company which has been around 51 years. Charles Holder is the owner and Jamie Holder is the president and CEO. They’ve implemented a lot of changes that will shorten our lead times and increase our ability to respond to our customers. They’ve made us more efficient and streamlined some things.

We’ve also redesigned some of our trucks. For example, we added nine new features to our King Vat and developed a mid-line blower unit. At the end of the 2nd quarter, we will incorporate a PD Blower system into the redesign of the Air Lord. The redesign will also increase the amount of cfm and the ability to fill the tank faster so we can serve the hydroexcavation market.

We are also excited about our new salesman for the septic and portable restroom industry. Chris Ladner was an owner/operator of a portable restroom and septic company before he sold it to WastePro.

What should you look for when buying one?

Siegle:
Quality. Look how it is put together. Look at the welding. Look at how long the manufacturer has been in business. Know what you want the truck or tank to do.

If you are looking for something cheap and you are a price value shopper, I’m probably not your guy. But most people want to buy good quality units from good quality manufacturers. It’s
like buying a house. It’s expensive and you might as well put in a little extra money for it to last a long time.

You also want a manufacturer and a salesman who will stand by their product. If there is a problem with a truck that I sell, then I get it resolved. We are one of the few manufacturers who still do custom builds. Not everyone wants a cookie cutter type unit. We’ve been around 40 years and can help customers build units to suit their needs. I have been fortunate to sell a good product and have a lot of experience in the business, which means I can help our customers get what they need.

What are the benefits of a truck over a trailer and vice versa?

Siegle:
If you need volume, a trailer is your best choice. But some job sites are tight and can’t handle a big trailer and logistics can be a problem too. You also have to look at what you are putting in there and ask if you can get it out. We can build a tilting trailer but not a dumping one.

I know several contractors that just have a whole fleet of trailers and one truck, but you have to look at what you want to achieve. You also have to know your bridge laws for trailers. Federal guidelines have a limit of 80,000 lbs so you might be inclined to go with an aluminum tank. But you have to consider what you are putting in the tank. You can’t put brine water in an aluminum tank because it will just eat it up.

If your business is mainly residential septic, then you obviously aren’t going to take a big trailer in there so a truck typically works better.

Felsher:
It just depends on your customer base. A guy may have the capability to leave some trailers around town to offload to which can save on hauling and fuel.

What are the benefits of buying from Keith Huber?

Felsher:
I worked for the Holders for 10 years and they are a wonderful family to work for. They are a family that believes in doing it right, in customer satisfaction and in taking care of their employees.

Our company is run by our values:
“Hol-Mac Corporation IS our EMPLOYEES. Our company can only exist, be seen, and experienced through us. We will place our customers and suppliers as the most important element to operations, followed immediately by our employees. We will provide our customers with high quality products and service, competitively prices, delivered on time, providing profits for growth and rewards for our employees.”

What are some benefits of Presvac?

Siegle:
We have 40 plus years in business. Our quality is excellent. Customers love our stainless because of how we polish it.

We are open to building most anything but will let you know if it won’t work or if there is a better way to do it. When you want odd ball stuff, we are your guys. Few manufacturers can do that. That is why we are so successful and have guys like myself that have been around a long time. Our customers appreciate that we are a stable company, that we have experience and that they can rely on us.

Service is what we sell. If there is a problem, customers call me. We have a great parts guy that is responsive on the phone and online and is good with follow up.